Tuesday, October 05, 2010

overhaul

I spent most of the past 4 days drifting in and out of random thoughts and reflections.

Last Saturday's yoga class was the key trigger. It marked my first year in the discipline. "Discipline" because that essentially sums up what I was taught to practise from the very first day. My instructor reiterates the same thing every week: yoga is more than a mere exercise/sport/activity; it is an attitude. Loosely translating her pet phrase, her role is to "help us (re)adjust our breathing, our physique, our emotions". It is a lifelong experience. Evidently, the difficulty of our movements and positions reflect the levels of adjustment. We often forget, however, that the way we carry ourselves every day also reflects internal adjustment- the way we deal with hardship, the way we handle stress, the way we control our emotions.

My learning curve in the physical aspect was steep, yet I can't say the same for how well I've been integrating the relevant values into my daily life. In the past year, I lost count of the number of times I faltered. I fell prey to jealousy, to idleness, to defiance and to pride, more than ever. I didn't keep promises that I made to myself. I haven't been as understanding as I ought to be. Hence I would say I still haven't reaped the maximum potential benefits from my classes. It's high time for an attitude overhaul.

by exalted! at 4:50 pm |